Printing-machine



(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 1. H. D. 8v D. W. SWIFT. PRINTING MACHINE.

No. 585,296. Patented June 29,1897.

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PRINTING. MACHINE.

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PRINTING MACHINE.

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'PRINTING MACHINE.

No. 585,296. Patented June 29,1897.

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PRINTING MACHINE. No. 585,296. Patented June 29,1897.

5 Sheets-Sheet' Nrrnn rares HENRY D.4 SVIFT AND DANIEL WHEELER SWIFT, OFVORCESTER MASSACHUSETTS.

PRINTING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 585,296, dated June 29,189'?. Application tiled October 29, 1892. Serial No. 450,401` (Nomodel-l To all whom it 71u03/ concert/ Be it known that we, HENRY D.SWIFT and DANIEL WHEELER SWIFT, citizens of the United States, residingat Vorcest-er, in the county of Vorcester and State ot Massachusetts,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Printing-Presses, of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

Our present invention relates to that class of printingpresses known asrotary, which are arranged to print single sheets, instead of acontinuous web, of paper; and it relates particularly to that part ofthe operative mechanism by which the paper is fed to and taken off fromthe impression-cylinder.

The accompanying drawings represent a printing-press especially designedfor printing envelop-blanks and embodying our invention.

Figure l is a front View of the machine. Fig. 2 is a side View showingthe left side as represented in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is an end View of theimpression-cylinder looking in the direction of the arrow 1, Fig. l.Figs. 4 to 9, inclusive, represent sectional views of theimpression-cylinder on line 4 4, looking in the direction of the arrow2, Fig. l, and designed to show the several positions assumed by thegrippers during a revolution of the impression-cylinder. Fig. 4 showsthe grippers as nearly closed upon the paper blank which has been raisedfrom a pile of blanks by the pneumatic nger. Fig. 5 represents thegrippers as closed upon the paper blank. Fig. G shows the grippersclosed andinoved into alinement with the surface of the cylinder. Fig. 7represents the grippers as carried out in order to raise the printedsheet from the cylinder and allow'the ends of the fly-lingers to passbeneath it. Fig. S represents the grippers open to release the sheet.Fig. 9 represents the grippers open with the outer jaw moved in towardthe center of the cylinder to clear the paper blank held by thepneumatic finger and with the inner jaw moved out so the face of the jawwillcorrespond with the lower surface of the pneumatic iinger when thegrippers arrive at the position shown in Fig. 4. Fig. lO is an end viewof the impression-cylinder looking in the direction of the arrow 3, Fig.l. Fig. 11 is a top view of the feedingetable and pneumatic finger andshowing the pivoted separator. Fig. l2 is a front view of a portion ofthe separator. Fig. 13 is a sectional view of the same Online 13 13,Fig. 12. Fig. 14 represents in central sectional view a portion of theair-pump cylinder and valve by which air is admitted to break thevacuum. Fig. 15 is a central sectional view of the pneumatic linger online 15 15, Fig.16. Fig. 16 is a view of the under side of the pneumaticfinger with a portion broken away to disclose the interior air-passages.Fig. 17 shows in detail the operative mechanism for vibrating thefly-fingers, and Fig. 18 is a perspective View of the grippers andgripper-shafts.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the different figures.

Referring to the drawings, A denotes the frame of the machine, B thetype-cylinder, and C the impression-cylinder, journaled in boxes B andC. The boxes B', of which only one is shown, are fixed upon the frame,and the boxes C are united to the boxes B by right and left handscrew-threaded bolts C2, by which they are adjusted to bring the axes ofthe cylinders parallel and the proper distance apart.

The cylinders are geared together by gearwheels (Fand C4, attached toeach end of the cylinders, the gears upon one of the cylinders beingadjustable by set-screws C5 and slots CG, so the teeth of the gears uponopposite ends of the cylinders can be made to crowd against the teeth oftheir engaging gears, thereby taking up any lost motion and cause therotary motion of one of the cylinders to be accurately imparted to theother and prevent any slurrin g of the printing. The sheets to beprinted are placed in a pile D upon a table D', carried by a slide D2,held in the vertical ways D3 and connected by a link; D3 with acrank-arm D4 on the shaft of the ratchet-wheel D5, which isintermittently rotated by a pa-wl DG on the arm D7, piv'otedconcentrically with the ratchet-wheel and connected by a rod Ds with avibrating lever D0, actuated by a spring D10 and by an eccentric D11upon the shaft of the impression-cylinder C.

The action of the vibrating lever D is adjusted by a sleeve D12,swiveled upon the lever and loosely inclosing the rod D between theadjustable nuts D15. The vibrating lever D0 is attached to a rock-shaftD11, journaled in the frame of the machine, to which is attached thethree-pronged linger D15, extending over the pile of blanks D, so thatwhen the blanks have been raised into the path of the linger D15 therocking motion of the lever D0 is limited and the feeding motion of thetable is checked until the pile of blanks is reduced, allowing thefinger D15 to fall far enough to permit another tooth of the ratchet D5to be engaged. by the actuating-pawl D6 and the blanks to be againraised and held by the retaining-pawl D05. The finger D15 is preferablyprovided with three prongs containing an air-passage D10, Fig. 16,terminating at the ends of the prongs and upon their under side inopenings or ducts D15. The ends of the prongs are flattened on theirunder sides, as shown in Figs. l5 and 16, and are arranged to act aspressure-fingers on the pile of blanks, the under surface of the iingersbeing in the same plane.

The air-passages D are connected by a flexible tube D with an air-pumpconsisting in the present instance of a cylinder D10, pivoted upon astud D and containing a reciprocating piston whose rod D21 is connectedwith an oscillating arm D22, actuated through the pitman-rod D25 by thecrank-arm D21 upon the shaft of the typecylinder B. The downwardmovement of the piston exhausts the air from the passages D10 at theperiod of contact of the pneumatic finger with the upper blank upon thepile D, causing a vacuum to be produced and the forward edge of theblank beneath the ducts D17 to be lifted by the upward motion of thepneumatic linger D15 into the position to be seized by the grippersVcarried by the impression-cylinder C. The grippers consist of an innerjaw E, carried by the end of a hollow shaft E, and an outer jaw F,carried by a shaft F/, concentric with the shaft E, and both journaledin the ends or heads of the cylinder C, which is recessed to receivethem.

To the end of the hollow shaft E and outside the gear-wheel C1 is acrank-arm E2, car rying a roll E5, held in contact by a spring E4 with acam E5, attached to the inner side of one of the boxes C' and which isrepresented by broken lines in Fig. 3.

To the end of the shaft F', carrying the' outer jaw F, we attach apinion F2, engaged by the rack F3 on the end of la lever F1, pivoted onthe end of the impression cylinder.. The rack F3 is curvedeoncentrically with the pivot of the lever, and the lever is providedwith a camroll F5, carried by the rotation of the cylinder C intocontact with a fixed camv F0 att-ached tothe inner side of one of theboxes C, causingmthe shaft F' to b e rocked and the outer jaw opened. Aspring F7 acts against the cam F0, causing the jaw to close withpressure upon the paperblank when released from the cam F0; butinorderto secure a positive action of the jaw in closing independently ofthe spring FT we provide a cam F5, also attached to the box G, whichserves to close the jaw. The revolution of the cylinder C will cause thejaws E and F to be independently moved into the several positions shownin Figs. 4. to 9, inclusive. As the grippcrs are brought into positionto seize the blank raised by Athe pneumatic finger D15 the face of thejaw E is carried into the plane of the underside of the pneumatic fingerD15 and in contact with the blank, as shown in Fig. 4. At that momentLthe outer jaw F by its release from the cam F0 is closed in the positionshown in Fig. 5, causing' the forward edge of the blank to be seizedandcarried forward by the rotation of the cylinder G. Both jaws are thenmoved conjointly inward until the face of the inner jaw E is broughttangential with the surface F0 of the cylinder, upon which a tympanissecured by any of the well-known and practiced methods. After the formhas rolled in contact with the blank and the cylinder is brought intothe position represented in Fig. 7 the jaws are moved outward conjointly in order to raise the advancing edge of the blank from thesurface of the cylinder, so as to allow the ends of the fly-fingers G,carried upon a rocking shaft G', to pass beneath the blank. The outerjaw F is then opened, releasing the blank, which is moved upon thefly-fin gers G by the cylinder C and rolls G2, held by rods G5,adjustably supported by the cross-bar G5, and provided with elastictires G25, between which and the surface F0 the blank is held after itsrelease by the grippers. The outer jaw F is moved into position (shownin Fig. 9) so it will clear the blank held by the pneumatic finger D15.The shaft G is rocked by the mechanism shown in Fig. 17, consisting'ofan eccentric G5 upon the shaft of the impression-cylj inder, anelbow-lever G0, pivoted upon a fixed stud G7 and connected by a link G5with a crank-arm G0 upon the shaft G', and a retractile spring G10. Theprinted blank is carried by the iiy-fingers G over upon the shelf ortaking-off board G11, slightly inclined from a vertical position andheld upon rods G12, so that the printed blank as it is deliver-ed by thefly-fingers will rest against the board G11 with its lower edge incontact with the rods G12, which serve as gage-rods to even the printedblanks. The upper ends of the rods 112 are provided with the guide-rodsG15, curved concentrically with the axis of the fly-fingers G. Thetaking-off board G11 is adj ustably held upon'the rods G12 by means of asleeve G11, attached to the board G11, and loosely'inclosing one of therods G12 and provided with lugs to which is pivoted a lever G15, pressedby a spring G10 against the rod IOC IIO

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G12 and preferably having a piece of rubber or leather interposedbetween it and the rod. The lever G15 is readily released from the rodG12, allowing the board G11 to be moved on the rod, and the friction ofthe lever G15 will maintain the board in position, except as it ispushed down by the movement of the iiyfingers and the accumulation ofblanks upon the takin g-off board.

In orderto cause the blank held by the pneumatic nger D15 to be releasedat the instant it is seized by the grippers, we provide thepump-cylinder D19 witha valve H, held against its seat by a spring lil',applied to the valve-stem H2, causing the valve to be held normallyclosed and preventing the admission of air through the ports H9 to thepumpcylinder D19. The valve-stem H2 is pushed downward at the instantthe blank is seized by the gripper-jaws E and F by means of a lever I,pivoted upon a fixed stud and actuated to open the valve H by a spur Iupon the cam l2, carried by the shaft of the impressioncylinder C, thereby admitting air to the p umpcylinder D19 and breakin the vacuum. Thepile of envelop-blanks D is placed upon the feeding-table D with itsforward or backilap edge against the vertical guide-pins J J, held uponthe shelf J', forming a portion of the framework. The feeding-table isthen raised into the desired position so the upper blank will be struckby the pneumatic finger D15 as the shaft D11 is rocked. The pile ofblanks D as it is raised is carried behind the registering gage-pins J2J2, depending from the framework, and in front of the pivotedpresser-bar J 5, pivoted upon a stud J 4, held in the shelf J and havinga spring J5 applied to press the face J 9 against the upper blanks andcrowd them back against the gagepins J2 J2.

To the end of the bar J3 is pivoied the block J1, provided with the faceJ 5 and the three posts J 8, carrying screws J9 with pointed tips, whichare adjusted to reach slightly over the pile of blanks, so the edges ofthose blanks which are raised by the pneumatic finger D15 will be drawnacross the tips of the screws, which act as separators to separate theblanks and admit air beneath the upper blank, so it will be raised bythe pneumatic iin ger and the succeeding blanks allowed to fall backupon the pile. The upper ends of the guide-pins J J are slightlytapered, and to the rocking shaft D111 are attached the fingers K K,with their under sides slightly raised above' the under side of thepneumatic finger D15. As the fingers K K are carried down by the rockingof the shaft D11 they press the blanks which may have been lifted by thepneumatic finger D15 down beside the guidepins J J, whose tapered sidesserve to restore any displaced blanks to their proper alinement with thepile D. The jaws E and F are bifurcated, forming the double jaws ct dand 'b h, Fig. 1S, so as to seize the paper blank upon each side of thecentral prong c and between the central and side prongs d d of thepneumatic finger D15, which is provided with three prongs c CZ d, so asto hold that portion of the blank to be seized by the jaws E and F inthe same plane.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The form is suitablyattached to the type-cylinder B in the usual manner, and is inked by therolls L L, to whichthe ink is distributed by any of the known mechanismsused for that purpose, but not shown in the drawings, as it forms nopart of our present invention. The pile of blanks D is placed uponthefeeding-table D and against the guide-pins J J. The table is thenraised, bringing the blanks behind the gage--pins J2 J2 andin front of aspring-actuated pivoted bar J 9, so the face J 9 will press the upperblanks back against the gage-pins J2 J and insuring accurateregistration of the upper blank. The table D is raised into the path ofthe fingers K K and the pneumatic finger D15, which are brought intocontact with the top blank by the rocking shaft D11, closing theair-ducts D17 as the piston of the air-pump is making its downwardstroke, exhausting the air from the airpassages D19, causing the upperblank to be raised with the finger D15, and usually raising several ofthe succeeding blanks by the clinging together of the edges of thepaper. As the blanks are raised their edges are drawn overthe projectingpointed screws J9, which separate the succeeding' blanks from the topblank, so they will fall back upon the pile. The revolution of thecylinder C, carrying the grippers, with their connected mechanism,around the fixed cams E5 will cause the jaws to be successively movedinto the positions already described, seizing the edge of the blank heldby the pneumatic nger D15, carrying it in toward the center of thecylinder C, so as to bring it into proper alinement with the surface F9to receive the impression of the inked form upon the type-cylinder B.The

`jaws are then raised to lift the edge of the blank over the ends of theily-fingers G, which have been brought into position tangential with thesurface F9 of the cylinder C. As soon as the edge of the blank has beencaught by the tips of the ily-fingers the grippers are opened and theblank is delivered to the flyfingers by the action of the surface F9 andthe rolls G2, and the grippers are brought into proper position to seizethe succeeding blank raised by the pneumatic linger D15. The flyfingersG are vibrated by the rocking of the shaft G1, carrying the printedblank over with its lower edge sliding upon the curved guiderods G15,and depositing it upon the takingoff board G11, with its lower edgeresting upon the gage-rods G12. As the printed blanks accumulate uponthe board G11 the pressure of the fly-lingers G will push the board downthe rods G12. The downward motion of the pneumatic finger D15 is limitedby the pile of blanks, and as the blanks are removed the angular motionof the finger D15 increases IOO IIO

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until the vibrating lever D9 actuates the pawl D5, through theintermediate mechanism, as described, to move the ratchet-wheel D5forward another tooth and raise the feedingtable D. The feeding-table Dis raised through one-half a revolution of the crank-arm D4, or from itslower to its upper dead-center, which limits the upward movement of thefeeding-table, for when the crank-arm passes the upper dead-center theweight of the table will rotate the crank-arm and ratchet-wheel andallow the table to fall. This arrangement of the ratchet-Wheel and crankas connected with the feeding-table we do not claim as a part of ourpresent invention, but the intermediate actuating mechanism between theeccentric D11 and the ratchet-wheel D5 we deem to be new. The prongs c dd of the pneumatic finger D15 are provided with small bosses c, locatedwithin the ducts D17, with their faces flush with the under side of thefinger in order to prevent the paper from being bent or curved too muchinto the duct by the air-pressure.

VVhatwe claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

l. The combination with a table upon which the blanks are supported, ofa rockshaft D14, a finger extending radially in a horizontal plane oversaid table and having its end forming the prong c, provided at its t-ipwith an air-duct, prongs d, CZ, projecting from the side of said fingerand having their ends parallel with and shorter than the prong c andhaving air-ducts in their ends arranged in line with the edge of anenvelop-blank and having their under surfaces flattened to act aspressuresfingers to bear in the same plane upon the pile of blanks andan air-passage in said central finger communicating with said ducts,substantially as described.

2. The combination of a feeding-table upon which the blanks aresupported, of the gagepins for registering the blanks, a pivotedpresser-bar J 5, spring J5, block J 1 pivoted on said presser-bar andhaving three posts J 8 and screws J 9 carried by said posts and have ingtheir tips overhanging t-he pile of blanks held on said table,substantially as described.

3. The combination of a blank-supporting table, a rock-shaft D14, radialfingers eXtending from said shaft over said table, a vibrating arm D9attached to said shaft, an actuating-eccentric D11, retractile springD10, sleeve D12, swiveled on said vibrating arm and inclosing a rod D8,rod D5, nuts D13 adj ustably held on said rod, arm D7, connected withsaid rod, actuating-pawl D6 .carried by said arm, ratchet-wheel D5, andintermediate mechanism between said ratchet wheel and said blank-holdingtable, whereby the intermittent rotation of said ratchet-wheel willraise the table, substantially as described.

4t. The combination of an impression-cylinder, a lifting-finger by whichthe blanks to be' printed are raised singly, a gripping-jaw E, carriedupon. a shaft, journaled in said cylinder, a crank-arm attached to saidshaft and acam, actuating said crank-arm to rock said shaft and carrysaid jaw outward and bring its face into alinement with saidlifting-finger, gripper F and means for actuating the same,substantially as described.

5. The combination with an impressioncylinder of the gripping-jaw E,hollow shaft E', crank-arm E2 and actuating-cam by which said hollowshaft is rocked, jaw F, shaft F,

pinion F2, pivoted lever F4, provided with rack-teeth F3 engaging saidpinion spring F7, and actuating-cam F5, substantially as described.

6. The combination of an impression-cylinder, jaws attached to shafts,journaled in said cylinder, fixed cams E5 and F5 and connectingoperating mechanism between said cams and said jaws, whereby said jawsare moved in correspondence to successively seize the blank and carry itinto alinement with the surface of said impression-cylinder, raise theblank from the surface of said cylinder, and finally release the blank,substantially as described.

7. The combination of rods G12, board G11 having a sleeve G11, leverG15, pivoted on said sleeve and engaging one of said rods, and a springG15, substantially as described.

j Dated this 24th day of October, 1892.

HENRY D. SWIFT. DANIEL WHEELER SVIFT.

Witnesses:

RUFUS B. FowLER, EMMA KEsTER.

